1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible Up for Grabs

If you consider yourself a Corvette enthusiast, you probably already know what the L88 is. They were built from 1967 through 1969 and only 216 existed, with the most popular year being 1969 (116 cars). The title “L88” refers to the 427 engine packed under the hood of the Corvette, which is rated at 430 horsepower. The LeMans Blue L88 in question is quite obviously of the convertible model, and was discovered in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1977 by two men named Bryan Cooper, a promoter of the Knoxville Corvette Expo for 36 years, and a former Corvette dealer, Paul Kitchen. Kitchen is also one of the early contributors to the Corvette Black Book by Mike Antonick. On discovering the ’69, they brought the four-speed Corvette to Cooper’s shop and immediately dropped the gas tank to find the tank sticker to document the specifics.

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The pair confirmed that the car was indeed an L88 Corvette, and it was eventually purchased by Joe Cheeks and David Love in November 1987. The two are partners at Automania in Three-Way, Tennesee, which helps connect buyers with the collector car of their dreams. They placed the car in protective storage until February 2012, when it was delivered to Roger Gibson, renowned Corvette and muscle car expert, who completed a 5,100-hour no-expense-spared frame-off restoration using NOS parts. It took a total of nineteen months and more than $242,000, but the outcome was well worth it. Looking as it did the day it rolled off the assembly line, the Corvette features the matching Bright Blue interior and Black vinyl auxiliary hard top.

Now, the beautiful and rare 1969 Corvette L88 convertible is seeking new ownership through Mecum Auctions Kissimmee on Saturday, January 25th, at 3:35 p.m.

Included with sale are the tank sticker, NCRS Shipping Data Report, which notes delivery to Stafford and Cannon Chevrolet in Liberty, Kentucky, Documentation Validation Service records for the tank sticker, two binders containing a comprehensive photographic record of the restoration, copies of all receipts, and a complete and detailed description of work performed by Gibson and his team.

To learn how to bid or to find out more, visit www.mecum.com.

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1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible Up for Grabs

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